Traffic collisions in Pakistan are among the highest in the world, with thousands of lives lost and many severely injured each year. In 2021 alone, 10,379 road accidents resulted in some 5,608 fatalities. Former Minister of Communications, Murad Saeed, stated that "in Pakistan, a person is killed or severely injured in a road accident every five minutes." Pakistan also ranks first in Asia for most deaths caused by traffic accidents. Additionally, Karachi also ranks 4th globally for cities with the highest road accident fatalities. Major causes include reckless driving, poor road conditions, and inadequate traffic management.

Statistics +Traffic accidents in Pakistan by yearYearTotal number of accidentsAccidentPersonsTotal number of vehicles involved Fatal Non-fatal Killed Injured2006-0710,4664,5355,9315,46512,87511,4812007-0810,4664,6105,8565,61512,09611,4562008-099,4964,1455,3514,90711,03710,3222009-109,7474,3785,3695,28011,17310,4962010-119,7234,2805,4435,27111,38310,8222011-129,1403,9665,1744,75810,1459,9862012-138,9883,8845,1044,7199,7109,8762013-148,3593,5004,8594,3489,7779,4232014-157,8653,2144,6513,9549,6618,9492015-169,1003,5915,5094,44811,54410,6362016-179,5824,0365,5465,04712,69611,3172017-1811,1214,8296,2925,94814,48913,1342018-1910,7794,8785,9015,93213,21912,9082019-209,7014,3975,2985,43612,31712,894

Traffic accidents by province Punjab had the most and Balochistan had the least ratio of traffic accidents from 2000 to 2010, as compared to other provinces of Pakistan.

Islamabad Capital Territory

Source: YearTotal number of accidentsAccidentPersonsTotal number of vehicles involved Fatal Non-fatal Killed Injured2012-13201107941091802122013-142561201361322062562014-152161071091181822172015-16244120124140209244

Sindh

Source: YearTotal number of accidentsAccidentPersonsTotal number of vehicles involved Fatal Non-fatal Killed Injured2006-0716189326861089130317582007-0815618986631066113517222008-091433824609961116015622009-1014658835821031126115802010-111270758512927107115412011-12105468137375668111212012-139355823536966379602013-1494561333279189311032014-1588158329177186310292015-169246342907497541144

Punjab

Source: YearTotal number of accidentsAccidentPersonsTotal number of vehicles involved Fatal Non-fatal Killed Injured2006-075355259127643096631153552007-085522272128013293616355222008-095240247128013293616355222009-105344259027543083585653442010-115420259128293167580954202011-124990236126292888507149902012-134587221323742692451545872013-143696171719792145394136962014-153054143516191750365230542015-16328815761712205345503288

KPK

Source: YearTotal number of accidentsAccidentPersonsTotal number of vehicles involved Fatal Non-fatal Killed Injured2006-07294277921631006442137562007-0828937552138942388436342008-0923926441748786334029752009-1025597121847921356031282010-1127227731949986415334792011-1227727851987953391325012012-13298684621221059401637362013-14312087722431033425739342014-15339994224571137452442602015-16428710833204129955275490

Balochistan

Source: YearTotal number of accidentsAccidentPersonsTotal number of vehicles involved Fatal Non-fatal Killed Injured2006-075512333182848406122007-084902362543149142782008-094312062252487475452009-103791931862454964442010-113111581531913503822011-123241391851614803742012-132971361611633623812013-143421731692474804342014-153151471681784403892015-16357178179207504470

Economic cost A study by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) estimated that road accidents in Pakistan resulted in $5.4 billion in losses in 2015 alone. According to a 2018 report of Ministry of Communications, Pakistan incurs an annual loss of approximately $9 billion due to road traffic accidents.

Contributing factors The primary causes of these accidents are irresponsible road behaviours, such as jaywalking, speeding, running red lights, and driving on wet roads. Poor road condition also contribute significantly, leading to moderate to severe injuries. Many roads in Pakistan are poorly maintained, with potholes, cracks, and inadequate lighting, making nighttime driving especially hazardous.

Road safety measures

National Road Safety Strategy (2018–2030) The Ministry of Communication, in collaboration with ADB and the UK Department for International Development, launched "The Pakistan National Road Safety Strategy (2018–2030)." This strategy builds on the foundation of the first National Road Safety Plan for Motorways and National Highways (2017–2018) and expands its focus to cover all road networks and user groups across Pakistan. It sets key priorities for initiatives aimed at saving over 6,000 lives by 2030. To ensure effective implementation, a series of action plans aligned with the government's planning cycle will be developed, beginning with the National Road Safety Action Plan (2020–2024). Each plan will address current road safety trends, emerging issues, and priorities, outlining detailed actions to be taken.

National Road Safety Action Plan (2020–2024) The Action Plan is one of two national initiatives designed to support Pakistan's National Road Safety Strategy (2018–2030). Developed in collaboration with ADB and key federal and provincial government agencies responsible for transport, road safety, traffic enforcement, and post-crash response, the plan aims to address critical road safety issues. It received support and endorsement from the National Steering Committee for Road Safety Actions during its 4th meeting, held on 26 February 2020.

See also

Roads in Pakistan

Notes

References